It’s been a tough year for the outdoors: massive wildfires, hurricanes, and political attempts to roll back our national monuments.

Well, there are still things to be thankful for. Here are some of the bright spots in the outdoors from the past year.

Wildland Firefighters, Search & Rescue and Emergency Responders

Wildland firefighters in the Gorge, Cascades, and the Napa and Santa Rosa top the list of people to be thankful for, for saving countless lives and property. Wilderness rescue evacuated hikers stranded on the Eagle Creek trail when the fire erupted suddenly, and evacuated Cascade Locks and protected the town.

Being Prepared

The human and economic costs of the Gorge wildfires—as well as those in California—would have been much higher if people weren’t prepared for evacuation. Many thanks to those who were ready to help both themselves and their neighbors.

Gorge Tourists

The weekend I-84 was re-opened, Cascade Locks was packed with visitors. It’s the kind of support Gorge businesses will need after being shut down for much of the busy season.

The Moon

On August 21, 2017, the moon slipped in front of the sun for a few minutes, creating an unbelievable light show many of us won’t see again in our lifetime. The eclipse was both a spectacular natural show and a community event, that went off without the much-feared traffic snarls.

Lots of Sockeye

2017 was a near record-breaking year for one of the best fisheries in the world: the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon runs in Alaska. The fishery—which produces 40% of the sockeye salmon that ends up on your plate—produced a whopping 59 million tons of salmon. It highlighted the importance of protecting Bristol Bay as talk resumes about developing the Pebble Mine nearby

Whales

It was a banner year for whales on the coast of Northern California and Oregon. A record number of whales were sighted, including both the usual Gray whales but more humpback whales, which even ventured under the Golden Gate. The reason was a strong upwelling of krill, feeding on plankton. Orcas followed the giant seafood buffet, and whale-watchers got to see a pod of Orcas attack migrating gray whales. Larger humpbacks event teamed up with Gray Whales to keep the orcas at bay and protect young.

The Elwha River

Five years after the removal of two dams on the Elwha River, we have proof that if you set a river free, it will do most of the work of restoration itself. Salmon have found their way to spawning grounds upriver that have been blocked for over a hundred years. New beaches have sprung up in the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and the nutrients washed down from the river have attracted marine life. If you un-build it, they will come.

Everyone Who Emailed Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)

In February, Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz introduced a bill to sell public lands to private owners. Even in a conservative district, the outcry in support of keeping public lands public was immediate and overwhelming. When his website and twitter feed were overwhelmed, Chaffetz backed off, pronounced his love of public lands and posted a photo of himself in outdoor gear on this Twitter feed stating “I hear you and HR 621 dies tomorrow." Two months later, he announced that he wouldn’t run for re-election.

Outdoor Retailer Marketplace Organizers

When the Utah’s political leaders wanted to remove protections from Bear’s Ears National Monument, the outdoor industry made a move that sent echoes across the West—pulling the Outdoor Retailer trade show from Utah, along with the $45 million in economic impact it brings. “It is clear that the governor indeed has a different perspective on the protections of public lands from that of our members and the majority of Western state voters, both Republicans and Democrats—that’s bad for our American heritage, and it’s bad for our businesses," the Outdoor Industry Coalition said in a news release. The show found a new home in Denver. The larger message—that outdoor recreation, which has an economic impact larger than the GDP of Switzerland, has found its voice.

Mount St. Helens

Northwesterners are mourning the effects of the Columbia Gorge wildfires and wondering if the spots we love will ever recover. One answer lies just north of Portland, in the form of a landscape that was devastated by the eruption of 1980. Mount St. Helens is proof that nature heals, and even if it’s not exactly the same, it will still be vibrant, beautiful, and healthy.